Fly Away Home
by altertalian-doodle
Summary: Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home. Your house is on fire and your children are gone. \n Fall of the Soviet Union *Character death, indicated drug use**Oneshot* R&R, please!


Fly Away Home

Well, isn't this late? Happy belated New Year's guys.

Ladybird, Ladybird is a British nursery rhyme. There are tons of variations, but the 'are dead' one is actually mine.

Here's a link: wiki/Ladybird_Ladybird

Disclaimer: haha lol no

* * *

 _Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home, you house is burning and your children are dead_

 _All except one, and that's little Ann, who crept under the warming pan_

 _1988_

"Like, Ohmigod, the economy's failing 'cause of Chernobyl (1) and like I really think we should, like, leave."

Five pairs of eyes looked back at Poland, also known as Feliks Łukasiewicz. Hungarian, Bulgarian, East German (Prussian! No, like, obviously East German), Czechoslovakian, and Romanian.

"Uh, I mean, like, Communism helped us out of a sorta tight spot after World War Two but now it's being like really suckish and besides, I think Ivan's losing it too, so he probs won't like, go after us." The Polish nation clarified.

"Last time I tried to leave, I was met with a horde of Red Army soldiers" Hungary pointed out.

"Yeah, but that was like back with bitch ass Stalin."

"And now Russia's boss is letting us run ourselves, so we'll be fine. I want to see _mein bruder_ again."

"Okay, but-"

"Just think about it! It's been better after Stalin, but once we leave we won't be oppressed anymore!"

"We don't have to listen to our bosses!"

Hungary's protests were drowned out by chatter. Past experience told her to be uneasy, but she knew that, if she wanted to, she could leave.

 _1989, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Bulgaria leave the Soviet Bloc and the Warsaw Pact_

…

 _Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home. Your house is on fire and your children shall burn._

 _1989_

"I'm leaving, YOU HEAR ME?! Boss, I don't care if you approve or not. You know what, I don't even care if these people die. The economy's been crumbling, and I want to GO!" Romania was yelling among the rebels in Bucharest.

He hoped the transition would be peaceful, but his boss was stubborn.

And so he was dragging the president out by his arms, to be hanged. (2)

Slipping the noose over his fat neck.

Letting go.

 _Crack_

The former Socialist Republic of Romania was left with a dead body and the cheers of his people.

 _1989, Romania leaves the Soviet Bloc. He is the only one to violently overthrow his regime._

…

 _Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home. Your house is burning and your children are gone._

 _All but one, and that's little John, who lies under the grindle stone._

 _1990_

The wall was crumbling.

For a year already Hungary left, and she broke down her part of the wall. Most of his people were leaving that way, to West. She had to return most of them, for the sake of diplomacy. Those same people started demonstrations.

We want out, they said.

His boss finally let them go, at the price of their citizenship.

He could care less. It was nearly fifty years since he talked to West. He just wanted to be with his _kleiner bruder_ again.

Running, running to the wall. The opening gates, his people with his brother's, family and total strangers all talking in the same language.

 _It was beautiful._

At the back of the crowd he saw a pale crème scarf. Russia. Or Soviet Union.

He could never tell.

Red eyes on purple, a bittersweet smile, the ash blonde head nodding towards the now open border. Mouthing three words.

 _I forgive you._ (3)

It felt like a weight was taken off his chest. He was no longer a nation, but no matter what happened to him, he knew he left no regrets. If he was slated to die, he would die a free country.

 _1990, fall of the Berlin Wall. East Germany (Prussia) reunites with West and marks the beginning of the end._

…

 _Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home. Your house is on fire and you children are gone._

 _All except one, her name is Nan, and she hid under the porridge pan_

 _1990_

"We're going" Estonia said, back in 1988.

They all understood the problems the Union had, what they were trying to fix. Many of Lithuania's people were sent to the gulags back during Stalin's reign, resulting in whip scars on his back. Russians targeted by intelligence immigrated to Latvia, explaining his constant trembling. Their arms were dotted with fading heroin marks from when there were food shortages twenty years ago. (4)

Recently the days were better, there was less suffering and less fear.

Russia would often hide it, like he used to hide the fact he did drugs to provide them with more food (5). He was following a pipe dream, and he was dying because of it.

Lithuania acted first, electing a new leader and declaring his independence.

Then Estonia, declaring that the USSR's occupation of his country was illegal.

Latvia, though completely traumatized from his time being Communist, was able to bring up his treaty with Russia from 1920. "You said my independence was inviolable, for all future time." He whispered

"Personally, I wish you all the best of luck", Russia admitted. "But politics are selfish, he'll try to keep you in."

That was the truth, the army stormed their capitals and killed 21 people. Russia eventually convinced them to let the Baltics leave.

Their departure was quiet, without any ceremony.

 _1990, The Baltics declare independence from the Soviet Union. Troops reacted violently to resistance._

…

 _Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home. Your house is on fire and your children are gone._

 _All except one, and her name is Aileen, she hid under the soup tureen_

 _1900_

The Chernobyl Incident was the last straw, really. Ever since becoming Communist Ukraine didn't do very well. She loved her little brother, she really did, but nations put their people first, even if it meant abandoning him.

Belarus knew how her big sister suffered under this regime, how her brother basically built his own gilded cage and trapped himself in it.

Both hands on the staff of her red and white flag, banned since she joined this Union, running through the streets of Minsk with protesters. Demanding additional cleanup for Chernobyl and resignation of her boss.

Neither of them wanted to leave Vanya, but it was the only way they could go.

 _1900, Belarus and Ukraine leave the Soviet Union._

…

 _Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home. Your house is on fire and you children are gone._

 _1991_

It's only me now.

They all left, and for the better.

The Soviet Union is dying, and I deal the killing blow. But I never understood.

Was I the Union, or was the Union me?

No matter what, I die.

 _7:30, 12/26/91_

I secure the ligature and tie a running knot.

 _7:31, 12/26/91_

I slip the noose over my head

 _7:32, 12/26/91_

I jump.

When Karl Marx was on his deathbed, a maid asked for his last words. He said: "Get out! Last words are for fools who haven't spoken enough!"

If that is so, Marx, then we are all fools. We all say something before we die, be it a speech or a single word.

 _7:32, December 26, 1991. The Soviet flag is lowered over the Kremlin for the last time._

 _Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home. Your house is on fire and you children are dead._

…

You are at a meeting with the rest of your NATO allies. You feel a part of you suffocate and you know that He is dead.

"Do you feel it?" You ask

Everyone nods.

The Cold War's over.

* * *

(1)The Chernobyl Incident in 1986 was a huge nuclear disaster in Ukraine. The Soviet Union spent a ton of money trying to clean it up, therefore sort of wrecking the economy

(2)In reality the Socialist leader of Romania escaped by helicopter, but I found that out after writing Romania's part.

(3)Some time ago before WW2 Russia and Prussia were pretty tight. Then Germany (and since Prussia merged, him too) broke the pact and invaded the USSR. My headcannon is that because of this, Russia held a grudge against Gilbert.

(4)People in the Soviet Union injected heroin because of hunger and stuff. I got this from bye sora. The Latvia part is my theory on why he's so small and scared. Basically, he got high so he didn't have to eat, since he insisted on taking the commoner's rations, which had less than official's ( _Animal Farm_ has a pretty accurate portrayal).

About Marx's last words: This is completely true and completely badass

Translations (I used Google):

Mein bruder- My brother

Kleiner bruder- Little brother


End file.
